Apostille

Phonetics: a·pos·tille \ə-päs-'til\

Function: noun

To get an apostille in the United States, one generally needs to contact the state notary division from the state where you need the apostille. There are very few notaries that know how to get an apostille, and the price is generally high and the process can take up to several days.

Definition 1: An Apostille is an authentication document used in countries that are Hague Convention members.

Definition 2: In California, authentication requests can be submitted by mail to the Sacramento or Los Angeles office of the Secretary of State. Processing time ranges from 3-5 business days from the date the request is received.

Definition 3: If you need to have an Apostille, please contact the state's notary division / Secretary of State where hte document was notarized and ask them what the procedure is. There are also services that can help you get an Apostille. These services are generally expensive, but can save you a lot of time.

Definition 4: Apostilles are often used for notarized documents that are going to be sent out of the country. The purpose of the Apostille is to prove the the notarization is genuine while the purpose of the notarization is to prove that the signature on the document is genuine.

Definition 5: The country of destination determines whether an apostille or certification is necessary. Each country has a different relationship to the United States and some countries are Hague convention members while other are not.